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Chang Tai looked at Rouge in confusion, but Rouge nodded and said, "Not only can the old general do it, but Zuo You can as well. This is something that only a direct descendant of the Zuo Family can accomplish. Otherwise, do you think that Zuo You, a child who has been oppressed and monitored by the court for years, could survive on the brutal battlefield? The court has exploited the Zuo Family, but they are even more interested in the secrets of the Zuo Family. Enough about Rouge and the adult; this matter originally has nothing to do with you. You only need to hand over that Porcelain Bottle to the person behind you."
Chang Tai took the Porcelain Bottle but did not open it. Instead, he looked into Rouge's eyes and asked, "Earlier, Miss Rouge mentioned that the old general left instructions stating that from then on, no one from the Zuo Family could use the dead for anything other than returning home?"
"Yes, that's correct!"
"Then why does Zuo You still go against this ancestral instruction?"
A cold light flickered in Rouge's eyes as she looked at Chang Tai with a half-smile. "For you, is following ancestral instructions more important than preserving your own life? When Zuo You was sent to the battlefield by the Holy One with an Edict, he was just a teenager, powerless and without any possessions. Faced with fierce enemies who only wanted his life, all he could do was fear and cry while trying to survive. Even ants strive to live; how much more so for a human?"
Rouge glanced around the room. "Moreover, any act of defiance against this principle comes at a price, and the Zuo Family is no exception. If Lord Chang is not afraid, you can take a look at General Zuo's back; you'll understand that using corpses in battle is certainly not a good thing for someone from the Zuo Family."
Chang Tai hesitated for a moment but still returned to the room and asked the elder to slightly turn Zuo You's body. Just one glance nearly made him close his eyes in shock. Aside from the crisscrossing whip marks on Zuo You's back, there were other changes. His skin was gradually becoming transparent, and beneath that transparent skin were large black holes that went deep enough to see bone and shallow enough to expose flesh.
"Those large holes indicate significant battles that General Zuo has experienced; as for those smaller ones, they represent all the skirmishes he has fought over the years. Using corpses for one's own purposes will also bring certain backlash to the practitioner, causing them to suffer pain day in and day out as if living in hell. In fact, even if those people did not act against him, he would not live long anyway."
Rouge stepped forward and gently brushed her hand over Zuo You's back; those black holes concealed themselves again. "These holes are formed from within; to prevent others from seeing and panicking, members of the Zuo Family will also use techniques to cover them up. Of course, this technique only works while one is alive; once dead, nothing can be hidden anymore. The reason you didn't notice all this along the way was entirely due to that soul-stabilizing talisman."
"So you are also from the Zuo Family? Do you know all those techniques they possess?" Chang Tai asked belatedly, only to see Rouge smile slightly and shake her head. "To be honest, I don't even know if I count as a member of the Zuo Family."
Chang Tai looked at Rouge, unsure of how to respond. Remembering the Secret Letter given to him by the Deputy Minister of War only added to his confusion. As a Constable, whether capturing or killing those he should apprehend or eliminate were all justified actions; yet this girl before him was merely a corpse handler who had never done anything wrong during their months together. However, as a subordinate, he could not ignore orders from the Ministry of War.
His hand gripping the sword grew sweaty as his conflicted heart became increasingly tangled under the moonlight. Finally, he made up his mind and walked out of the general's residence with his sword in hand.
"How will you explain your return to the owner of the Secret Letter?"
"You know about the Secret Letter!"
"Rouge not only knows that you have a Secret Letter but also knows who its owner is. They want you not only to take what belongs to General Zuo but also to eliminate any future threats."
"I—"
"You don't need to feel troubled; Rouge knows you are an upright person; otherwise, you wouldn't have been so conflicted just now."
"Rest assured, I Chang Tai will not make things difficult for you. However, given how dangerous it is in the capital city right now, once you've dealt with General Zuo's affairs, it would be best for you and this elder to leave as soon as possible. If what you say is true—that the Ministry of War and court covet what belongs to the Zuo Family—they certainly won't let you or this elder go easily."
"Thank you for the reminder, my lord. However, there are many eyes in the capital. If you return like this, it will be hard to explain. Rouge does not wish to put you in a difficult position." With that, Rouge suddenly clapped her hands and lunged at Chang Tai. Caught off guard, Chang Tai was struck hard and stumbled back several steps.
Just as Chang Tai managed to steady himself, Rouge attacked again, aiming to seize the long sword from his hand. Chang Tai dodged twice but soon realized that despite her slender frame, Rouge was incredibly agile, coiling around him like a snake and not letting go. With a moment's negligence, the sword sheath was pulled away from him. Left with no choice, he had to counterattack. As he noticed a dark blue shadow darting past him and focused again, he realized he had fallen for Rouge's trick; the long sword had somehow pierced her shoulder, blood seeping through her clothes.
"Why are you doing this, miss?"
"The last of the Zuo Family is gone. What significance does it hold for Rouge to remain? Besides, with my wish fulfilled, helping you once before I die is my way of repaying your care over these months."
"You..." A sense of inexplicable panic gripped Chang Tai's heart as he held the sword, unsure whether to pull back or push forward. In his hesitation, Rouge stepped forward, the blade sinking deeper into her shoulder as blood flowed freely.
Chang Tai was startled and quickly released his grip on the sword. "Wait here! I'll go find a doctor!"
"Lord Chang!" Rouge called out, pressing her right hand against her chest while slowly pulling the sword out with her left hand. "There's no need! The matters entrusted to you in the Secret Letter have all been completed. The General's residence is not a place for you to linger; please keep your sword safe. Rouge will not see you off!"
As Rouge finished speaking, Chang Tai's sword returned to his own hand. Just then, a gust of wind swept in, and when he looked again, he found himself outside the General's residence as the weathered door quickly closed behind him.
Anxiety filled Chang Tai's heart as he considered knocking on the door but then heard a familiar voice calling from behind— it sounded like Xing Ruyi.
Turning around in confusion, he indeed saw Xing Ruyi dressed in plain clothes with a cloak draped over her shoulders, standing under the dim night sky with bright eyes watching him.
"Brother Chang!"
"Fox Demon?" Chang Tai hurried over. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you, Brother Chang, and to send off a friend," Xing Ruyi said as she approached the General's residence door and gently pushed it open.
Chang Tai followed closely behind and was immediately taken aback. The courtyard that had just been clean was now in disarray; flowers and weeds were tangled together, and several large spiders were busy weaving webs under the eaves of the house in the moonlight.
The only thing unchanged was the spirit hall where Zuo You lay quietly as if merely asleep.
"Brother Chang, shh!"
Xing Ruyi made a gesture for silence and then quietly led him to one side of the spirit hall.
The silvery moonlight poured into the courtyard and fell upon Zuo You’s body; his previously closed eyes slowly opened. He then sat up and looked at the side door across from him with a calm smile.
The side door opened, and Rouge stepped out in her bridal attire, holding a red veil embroidered with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water. At that moment, her eyes held no sight of Xing Ruyi or Chang Tai, only Zuo You, who sat on the spirit bed, smiling at her.
Rouge finally reached Zuo You and shyly handed him the red veil. Zuo You glanced at it and awkwardly picked it up.
"Wait, I need to touch up your makeup!" Rouge said, temporarily stopping Zuo You from placing the veil over her head. Instead, she pulled out a box of Rouge she had bought from Ruyi Rouge shop a few months ago from her sleeve. She gently dipped her fingers into it and slowly and evenly applied it to Zuo You's pale face: "You know, this box of Rouge is named Rouge, look, my name is included in it. Doesn't that count as a kind of fate?"
Zuo You nodded stiffly, a soft light rising in his eyes.
"Do you remember that winter a year ago when the court sent you to quell the rebellion but only provided you with fewer than fifty old and weak soldiers? You felt reluctant but could not refuse because defying military orders meant certain death; you knew the Empress would not let you off easily. So, you gritted your teeth and set out with them. You charged into battle, hoping to protect them as best as you could. For the elderly and dying, their fighting strength might be greater, but only by staying alive could they return home and reunite with their families. You are the Hell General Zuo You, yet deep down, what you despise most is this hellish battlefield.
But the information the court provided was false; the maps were fake, even the routes were fabricated. Yet they gave the enemy your most accurate information. You and your team inevitably fell into their encirclement.
It was very cold; even the teeth of those shivering were chattering. Suddenly, snow began to fall, and the swirling snowflakes were stained red by the blood that splattered everywhere. You watched as they fell one by one; you knew you had no choice. Even if you managed to break through, if you were the only one left alive, you would still have to face the court's harsh accusations.
You brought back eight people, but they still branded you with charges of treason. Even those eight whom you fought so hard to protect were executed under accusations of conspiracy against the state. I know that at that moment, you had already resigned yourself to death because you understood that if you survived, the court would send more people to accompany you to the grave. You had already found the remains of the old general; you had deciphered the secrets of that year, but what did it matter? Like your grandfather, you could not resist or change your fate.
You often thought that if there were a next life, you would rather not be a part of the Zuo Family, preferring to wander alone with me across the seas. But Yu, we have no next life; therefore, everything we can do must be completed in this lifetime. I know you dislike these things; I don't like them either, but your face is so pale and lifeless; I can't bear to see it."
Rouge said as her fingers gently brushed across Zuo You's face, gradually fading away the pallor of death. Before her eyes, Zuo You seemed to come back to life. He wasn't particularly handsome, but his rugged features bore the marks of someone forged in battle.
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